Warriors and Robotics
by Mercedes Dawn
Summary: When Hiro recieves a sketchy letter, he thinks it would be best for the Big Hero 6 to be on guard. However, things don't go exactly as planned. Now a super villain is after Hiro's work and the teen genius worries that he will loose everything he has ever loved just like how he lost his older brother almost one year prior. (don't own picture)
1. Intro

Hey everyone:

This is my intro to this fan fiction because it needs quite a bit of explaining. This fan fiction will be partially based on the comics and partially based on the movie. However, most of it will be aligned with the movie. I'm telling you now that the villain will be Everwraith from the comics. But because the movie didn't deal in the paranormal or magic (only in tech), Everwraith will not be a spirit of the Japanese who died in the WWII bombing but simply a man with much skill and a Japanese look. Similar to how the Big Hero 6 didn't have actual powers in the movie but gadgets that imitated their powers, Everwraith will have gadgets that imitate his powers in the comics. There may also be other characters that were in the comics and not movie and this same thing (gadgets as opposed to powers) applies to anyone who appears.

Are you satisfied with your care?

Well then let's get started!

Enjoy!

– M. Dawn


	2. Chapter 1: The Letter

_Hey guys. Quick word from me. Sorry for any embarrassing typos. I sometimes really slack on fanfics_

_- M. Dawn _

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><p><strong> Chapter One: The Letter<strong>

"Hiro?"

My eyes opened slowly. How many of hours of sleep had I gotten? Three? Four? Let's see… I fell asleep at 3:30ish. What time was it now? I flopped to the other side of my bed and forced my heavy head to rise in order to see the florescent green numbers on my digital clock. 8:43. Huh. So I'd gotten five or so hours. That was pretty good and… Wait! 8:43?! My first class started at 9! There was no way I'd be there in time! I couldn't afford to walk in late! I needed to get moving.

"Gah!" I cried, shooting upwards and trying to get out of bed only to stumble and face plant onto the floor.

"Hey easy!" said the voice. "I'm surprised. You usually set an alarm. I figured I'd check on you since you weren't down for breakfast."

"Aunt Cass," I said. "I'm gonna be so late. Can you–"

"I packed you a lunch, set out some clean clothes, fed Mochi, and wrapped up your breakfast burrito for the road. Now go go go, kiddo!"

"Thanks! You're the best!"

I gave my aunt a quick, fierce hug, grabbed my clothes off the end of the bed as well as my backpack, and rushed towards the bathroom. Pull on my clothes, brush my hair and teeth, and done! I wiped some sticky green toothpaste I'd gotten on my fingers on my pant leg as I descended the stairs. Grabbing my lunch and breakfast burrito, I called out.

"See you later, Aunt Cass! Love you!"

"Love you, Hiro! Be safe!"

The commute to my college was a simple one. All I had to do was run down one street, catch a bus, and then run about half a street and into school. It wasn't bad but sometimes I really wished Baymax could give me a ride. Flying with him was like being, well, a superhero. I know I said I'd never take the bus again… However, Aunt Cass and the team all said that flying with Baymax every day would draw way too much attention to myself. Besides, making him fly required that I equip him with all new carbon fiber armor, wings, and boosters. Honestly, I was too busy to get all of that done every day. That being said, I couldn't wait to get to my brother, Tadashi's, old lab room and say hi to Baymax on his charging station.

I ended up getting to college at around 9:05. So I would be walking into class at least five minutes late. Great. I couldn't believe that I'd forgotten to set my alarm. I'd been working on my newest robotics project and I guess I was so tired that I crashed without thinking.

Classroom 208 was bustling when I walked in which was great because my being late didn't seem so obvious. However, my friends, my team, did notice.

"Hiro!" said Honey, giving me a big morning hug which made me blush. Honey was always so sweet that I always felt a mixture of bliss and embarrassment around her. She just babied me a little too much because I was by far the youngest in our group. Her long blonde hair tickled my face and her embrace felt almost as warm as Baymax's heating function.

"Hey, Honey," said Wasabi, glancing up from the tools he was always organizing, "give the guy some space.

"Oh. Hee hee." She released me and I glanced around the room at the students all working on their mid-term projects.

"Saw your blueprints," said GoGo, blowing a bubble with her ever present gum. "Pretty cool, man. That big bloated of yours never fails to impress." She returned her attention back to her own project– some sort of headpiece that's function would no doubt be useful while she rode on her maglev disks.

"It's nothing, really," I replied. I removed the blueprints from my bag. "I wanted to sort of do what my brother did and help people out. These electronic enhancements may just be the trick."

"Duuuuude," said Fred, leaning backwards in his chair in order to look at me. I wasn't really sure what he'd been working on because he wasn't exactly a nerd in the sense that everyone else was. But I caught sight of what looked to be an origami Millennium Falcon on his desk. "Explain. Your projects are so far out man."

"Well," I explained. "These things are meant to attach to a person's spinal column or brain, where they have the most neuro-signals moving around." I held up what looked like a mini robot control panel. "It's not perfected but it should allow us to program people almost like robots but not quite. Just imagine a guy who lost use of his legs in an accident. These pieces would allow him or others to manipulate the feeling in his legs and brain. I may be able to calibrate physical strength, even muscle mass to a healthy level. I'm still not sure how much it will help. But it's still a proto-type."

GoGo examined one of the panels. She felt the programming buttons, control dial, and the bits that would latch onto the brain and vertebrae. "Wow. You're entering cyborg territory, you little mad scientist." Her pink bubble gum popped.

"That's kind of the point," I replied. "It will be aid to those who've been seriously hurt."

"I like Hiro's project," cut in Honey. "It's better than mine. It's cool but not exactly helpful."

I'd seen Honey's mid-term project the day before. She was more into chemistry than robotics so her project consisted of a drink that smelled like pine-sol. Apparently the fluid could change a person's hair and eye color temporarily: for about three days.

"It's interesting," Wasabi told her. "I'm sure you're project will be a success."

"I agree," I said.

For a brief moment, there was silence. I couldn't help but think that life was great. We were all together and creating awesome works of art and science. And not one masked baddie in sight.

After two hours, the class wrapped up and I promised my team that I'd meet up with them later, as soon as I checked on Baymax.

"Hey," I greeted him as soon as the door to Tadashi's… my work room… opened.

"Hello, Hiro," returned the marshmallow puff of a robot. "Do you need a health checkup?"

I shook my head. "Nope. All good here. Sorry I've had to keep you here for the past week but I was rearranging some stuff at home as well as working on my mid-term. It was best to keep you and your charging station here."

"That is all right, Hiro. Would you like to review my footage? It was activated at last night at 1:18 am."

That caught my attention. A few weeks ago, I'd updated the recording system that Baymax had from being manual like Tadashi had set it to being triggered whenever there was movement. I figured the footage would come in handy if I ever needed to review my work on a project… or possibly get good-natured blackmail material on my team. But why on earth would it have been set off at 1:18? Not even the janitor was around at that time and if he was, he wouldn't have been in my work room.

"Yeah," I said. "Review footage November 7 at 1:18 am."

A light screen appeared on Baymax's face which I leaned in to observe. The room was dim but not as dark as it could have been. I'd left my reading lamp on and the tons of flickering lights on my machines cast glows around the room. But even in the darkness, I could see a guy messing around in the workroom. He wore all black like some kind of ninja but had a large katana and a smaller kodachi– weapons used more by samurai than ninja– strapped at his waste. His headgear, like the rest of what he wore, was a hybrid of samurai and ninja dress. His helmet (kabuto) was pretty traditional looking. Just like any other samurai helmet, it had the curved metal around it (shikoro), the menacing horns (maedate), and the strap for under the chin (shinobi-no-o). But the kabuto was missing a face mask. Instead, the intruder wore the black fabric of a ninja mask to hide the bottom of his face.

He ventured around the room, digging through my papers and drawers. The thing that amazed me was how silent he was. Not a sound came from him as he moved about like a phantom. I wanted to wonder if he even weighed anything. Finally, he selected a fountain pen from a drawer and a blank sheet of paper. I watched him scrawl something before setting it on the chair and leaving the room with the same blaring silence he had moved about within the workspace. After a minute, Baymax's sensor shut off and the video ended.

Baymax tilted his head. "What was he looking for? What will you do, Hiro?"

My eyes wandered to my chair and rested on the letter, still there. "Give me a sec," I said, grabbing the paper and unfolding it. I'll admit I was curious but also very wary. The last guy I'd met who wore a mask… Well let's just say he didn't seem to enjoy me or my vitality as much as I did. I quickly read over the letter:

_ Hamada-san, __I require something of you. Expect me to arrive at your residence at 9:00 tonight. I request that you do not make things difficult. I warn you that that would end in misfortune for you. -E_

"Not good," I muttered. Require something? What? That could really mean anything in the whole freaking world. However, the gloomy tone of the note made me get the sense that he didn't just want to ask me where to get the best udon noodles in San Fransokyo.

"Should I contact the others?" wondered Baymax.

"Yes," I said. That's a good idea.

"What's going on, man?"

"Oh, Hiro! Baymax's message was marked urgent. Are you okay?"

"If this is a prank, Hiro, I'll drag you by your shorts at seventy miles an hour."

"Little Hamada, don't tell me this is a new mission! That would rooooooock."

I studied my friends who'd all gotten there as fast as they could. GoGo's bag was unzipped as if she'd gotten up quickly and had forgotten to close it; a "Modern Gadgets" textbook was in danger of spilling out. Honey was still wearing a lab coat which had pink splotches and smears of some inky substance I didn't even want to ask about all over it. Fred… well he always looked at least a little unkempt. So the only one who looked put together was Wasabi the OCD neat-freak. However, he still wore an expression of worry on his face.

"Actually, I think Fred might be right. I wouldn't call it a mission though," I said before waving the letter at them and explaining Baymax's video recording. Again unfolding the paper, I began reading it aloud. My team's expressions shift to shock.

"That's messed up!" cried Wasabi. "This guy sounds like a deranged kidnapper or something! Gah! What if he's a serial killer! We really need to call the cops. Like right now!"

"You heard the note, doofus," said GoGo. "He'll 'bring misfortune' if Hiro does anything."

"Well… Maybe he's friendly and just wants to ask some science questions," suggested Honey.

"Yeah, because people sneak around at one in the morning wearing Japanese warrior clothes when they want to ask science questions," said GoGo. She popped her gum so loud that my ears actually rang a little. I wondered if she was more disturbed by the situation than she was letting on.

"So should we suit up?" asked Fred excitedly bouncing up and down and raising his hand as if I were an elementary school teacher.

"That's what I wanted to ask you guys. What should I do?"

They exchanged glances before Honey rested a hand on my shoulder and spoke up.

"We're always here for you, Hiro," she said. Her eyes glittered behind her lab glasses. "Without you, we would have never beat Callahan or have found out about the truth of Tadashi's death. You are a brilliant kid. If you feel we should become like superheroes again than we agree that that's what we should do."

"Ooo! Ooo! Say we should be like superheroes again!"

"Fred!" GoGo elbowed him and he winced.

"Hiro, your stress signals are up," said Baymax. "I suggest the company of companions"

I ran my hands through my black hair a few times. "Okay, okay. Can you guys just suit up and wait upstairs or something when this guy comes. If he's friendly then we have no problems. If he's a threat, then we take him out."

"Sounds dangerous… But I'm in."

"Okay! We'll be there."

"Roger."

"WHOOOO WHOO! LET'S DO THIS THING!"

I leaned against Baymax. His puffy exterior calmed me. So here we all go again. That night we'd get another chance to be heroes and possibly catch a baddie.

If only… It had turned out that way.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 2: Everwraith

_Wow! I'm actually pretty surprised by the views this got in only a few hours! Thanks everyone. Thanks a bunch! I've only been on for a 6ish (?) months and I'm super pleased to see that people enjoy my stories. Now to continue with this fanfic. Tell me if it's getting too cliché for you guys. Its actually pretty hard for me to write a fanfic based on a family action/adventure like this. Who knew! Hahaha. Peace out._

_- M. Dawn_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Everwraith <strong>

It was weird to know that all of my friends were hiding in my room. I tried to remember if I'd left anything embarrassing lying around. I hoped not.

My aunt Cass was out delivering a cake to a café regular. I didn't know where this person lived but I hoped that the drive was long enough so that Aunt Cass would come home after the samurai-ninja crossbreed left (or been totally owned by yours truly and company). Basically, I'd chat with this guy (for all I knew, he was an undercover government agent who needed tips on how to villain nab). But if he turned out to be as bad as Yokai/Callaghan, I'd send a signal and my team would rush down, fully equip, and beat the living crap out of him. Nice plan, no? Anyways, we'd have to call the cops eventually but I was sort of putting it off because the last time I'd tried to contact the police, I'd been treated like a little kid and hardly listened to. I really didn't want to relive that experience.

Knock Knock.

I almost jumped in my seat at one of the tables. I took a deep breath and glanced at Baymax (he was the only friend who we decided would stay downstairs with me). He nodded, which was more like a bobbing of his body's upper half, and patted me on the head. I smiled at my robot and answered the door.

Before I could say anything, the guy pushed past me and into the café (the bottom half of my house is our café), shutting the door behind him. He dragged a large brown fabric bag behind him and, from the lumps in it, I could tell that the bag held something of a fair size.

He set the bag beside him and rested on a bench beside the window.

"Hamada-san," he spoke. I winced. His voice was a lot more ancient sounding than I thought it would be. The guy looked muscular and physically fit from what I could see yet his voice sounded like a man who'd been around for maybe a century. Besides just the old sound, his voice seemed to be mixed with some other sound like the noise of a growling bear. It's hard to explain but there was a dangerous undertone.

"Yup. That's my name," I said as casually as I could muster. "So, you gonna tell me what you were doing at the college, snooping through my workspace at one in the morning?"

He tilted his head. Because of his kabuto and fabric mask, I couldn't tell what expression he was making but I still got the sense it was a far-off one like his mind had drifted to another place.

"I will tell you a quick story, Hamada-san."

I raised an eyebrow and he continued.

"I've lived in this city, this region for many many years. Back when I was only a few years older than you, this place was glorious. I was alive with ancient traditions and even the code of the warrior was still prevalent. However, this region began to change its ways. The people developed a fascination with tech such as what you have here."

He motioned towards Baymax.

"I am Baymax. Personal healthcare companion," said my robot.

The man ignored him and continued, "I was furious and bitter. The people of these newer generations were so enamored by machines and screens that they had given up on the traditions that had made us strong and fearsome. I thought this region was moving towards a decline. Thought. But soon I realized an important truth. The rest of the world is also obsessed with new inventions but it is this city that stand on top. It is this city that invents the most incredible things and brings in the most revenue from the sales. After I saw this, I decided that this region had been on the rise the whole time I thought it declining. Yet… The rise just stopped. Your generation seems to have no wish to go further, to exert your power over other cities and regions. To exert your power over other peoples. So, I've decided to take matters into my own hands and I've selected you, Hiro Hamada, a child prodigy and master of robotics, to get me what I need. I intend to make use of the mid-term you've been working on as well as other things."

When he had ended, I sat there stunned for a moment.

"So… you want to use my strength panel project to start wars with other countries?"

"I want you to upgrade it. To make it into something not used simply for the handicap but in order to turn men and woman into super soldiers. I also believe you may have what it takes to help me get access to any robotic or electronic I may need. I will control this city."

Ok. So he was a psychopath and not a secret agent like I'd semi-naively hoped. My hand was already inching towards the signaler around my wrist.

"And, out of curiosity, what if I refuse? I get a painful, traditional death, am I right?"

"Oh, no. Not YOU per se."

He pointed towards the bag he had rested on the floor and for the first time I registered that it could fit a whole adult person… A person I loved and who wasn't currently hiding in my room…

"You," I said, stunned, "kidnapped my aunt."

"Scanned," said Baymax. "Person inside. Gender: female. Shock to nervous system and blow to the head. She is in need of a medical treatment."

"And you didn't tell me this before, big guy!?" I yelled at him. "Baymax!"

"I did not think to scan until now."

I turned to the samurai ninja. My eyes narrowed and I felt myself heat in rage. "You better let her go right now or you'll be sorry. I mean it."

"No," he replied. "When all is said and done, I believe it is you who will be sorry. This woman is only alive for as long as you cooperate. That being said, I'll give you a few days to think about it."

I let out an angry scream and slammed down on my signaler.

My friends were down in a flash, GoGo being first, naturally. She skated down the banister on her maglev wheels and whirled into the café area. She removed the yellow disk from her left arm and tossed it with marvelous speed.

Unfortunately the kidnapper was ready. In a flash, he removed his katana which I now saw had an electric charge on the blade which hummed with blue energy. He beat down GoGo's disk and grabbed it, throwing it expertly and nailing her in the head. She went down. Next, Honey and Wasabi ran down. Honey chucked one of her exploding balls but the guy sliced through it before it could release its colorful explosion. Next he slashed at Wasabi with his kodachi, shorting out his gauntlets. Finally, Fred came down in his costume and prepared to torch the bad guy.

"Fred! Wait!" I cried. "If you use your fire in here, it will burn the whole building down!"

"Eh? So what do I do?" he wondered.

The kidnapper relaxed a little, sheathing his katana and his kodachi. "Nothing, for now," he said. "Hamada-san is correct. Fighting at a close distance like this will only injure us all. Here."

He tossed me a flash drive.

"Use that to find out how to contact me. I hack the police files every day and have bugs in the building so don't report this. I will see it and it will be trouble for your aunt."

I turned the flashdrive angrily in my hand.

"Who are you?"

"I am called Everwraith."

With that, he picked up the sack with my aunt and let himself out.

I couldn't stop shaking. Aunt Cass… None of this had anything to do with her. She was the nicest and most fun woman anyone could know. She didn't know about robotics or even the Big Hero 6. I had been stupid. I hadn't suspected she'd ever be caught in the crosshairs.

"Hiro?" asked Honey.

I turned to see my friends gathering around, looking at me expectantly.

"He has my aunt," I said softly. Then my voice rose. "This can't be happening! I've had to live without my parents and then without Tadashi! I-I can't live without Aunt Cass! I don't want to be all alone!" My eyes stung but I stopped the tears. I didn't want to cry in front of them. No way.

"It's wrong to think you're alone." GoGo hugged me. I blinked hard. It was strange how GoGo was usually so sarcastic and dry but really calm and loving when she knew the situation called for it. It was just like when she had hugged me in my garage after my near mental breakdown over Callaghan's crimes. She was almost like a different person. "Hey," she continued, smiling really softly. "Woman up. We got you, Hiro."

"That being said," Wasabi cut in, "that guy was all kinds of freaky. What did he want, man?"

"My mid-term," I said. Then I decided to elaborate. "He wants to use the tech in San Fransokyo in order to take over other cities and regions. He thinks I can get him control of the cities' robotics… And he thinks my mid-term can be used to power-up whoever decides to follow him."

"Can it be used that way?" asked Honey.

"I told you before," I answered, digging my work notes from my pockets, "it's still in the early stages. Besides that, I'm developing it to be used to support bodies with disabilities. But… Everwraith may be right. It could be used for something else."

"Then we stop him," said GoGo as if it were as easy and low stress as eating a chocolate bar.

"Yeah, Hiro-man," said Fred. "We did it before right? We're superheroes, people!"

"Well," said Honey a little sheepishly. "Just a little bit… superhero."

I waved the flash drive at them. The little thing was colored electric blue just like the energy on Everwraith's blades. "First things first. We get some clues."

"Everyone's emotional healths just improved," said Baymax. "Perhaps you all agree with Hiro's plan?"

"Absolutely," they said.

* * *

><p>Everwraith entered his lab. Weapons, all enhanced with electric pulses or other surprises, lined the walls. He removed his kabuto and fabric mask, revealing the face of an older but tough man.<p>

He had left the boy's aunt tied up in the room upstairs. She still had not come to and he wondered what she'd be like when she did. Would she scream? Cry? Ask him what he wanted? They were all interesting questions.

The tall man approached a subsection of the room which had been dedicated to his newest project: cloning. The subject fascinated him and he wondered how long it would be before he could mix and match DNA the way he wanted to. He had, however, been able to master accelerating the age of his experiments.

"I have no reason to trust Hiro Hamada or any of his ridiculous friends," said the old warrior out loud. "That's why I need someone to keep an eye on him."

Everwraith glanced into one of the cloning tanks and observed a young, college- age, Asian guy suspended in the glowing fluid.

"Isn't that, right, Tadashi Hamada?"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Chapter 3: Brothers Reunited?

_GHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! Evil laugh! Wow. You guys all had very large reactions to the last chapter XD. I'm starting to feel like how Rick Riordan probably feels (props to those who get what I mean). Well, here's part 3. I wrote it in math class today. Gah. I have 7 fanfics (on and off this site) as well as 3 original novel projects. Squeezing it all in is sometimes a challenge. But for some reason, this one is easier to manage. Probably because I have a very good idea of where I want it to go and how long it should be. Sorry. I'm rambling now. I'll just start part 3._

_- M. Dawn_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Brothers Reunited?<strong>

Fred's house seemed like a pretty good place to hang out while we upgraded and worked on a plan. Fred's father greeted us when we entered the big opulent house.

"Call me Stan," his father had told us. "Anything more would be too formal. Just let me know if you need anything."

We thanked Stan and proceeded to go to Fred's fancy geek hideout (aka his room)

"I hoped I'd never have to see this place again," grumbled Wasabi, folding his arms and sitting down on the couch. "It completely messes with my mind."

"Why?" asked Fred. "What's not to love about my Fredzilla-riding-a-dinosaur-while-shooting-death-rays posters?"

"Let me think," said GoGo sarcastically. She flopped down onto a beanbag chair.

"Guys," I said. "Priorities. We need to a) get Aunt Cass back, b) need to defeat the whack-job who took her, and c) get your guys' gear up to date."

To prove my point, GoGo lifted her left disk. On one of the edges was a crack from where Everwraith had hacked it down with his blade. "Exactly," I said. "I'll work with you to fix it. Wasabi, we'll recharge your gauntlets. And I'll reinforce all of your suits. Besides that…" I pulled out my blueprints for my nerve panels.

"Whoa, whoa," said Wasabi. "You're not actually going to turn that thing into a super weapon are you?"

"… Not… exactly. But I was thinking we could use it. To get stronger. Plus, it may fool Everwraith into thinking I'm actually gonna do what he says."

"I don't think that sounds like a good idea, Hiro," said Honey almost shyly. "I mean, things could go wrong. Everwraith could get it by accident."

I blinked… He could get it… So…

"Uh. Right," I said. "Good idea. I should just toss these and start a new mid-term, huh?"

"It was a good idea," said Honey with a sigh. "It could have been really helpful. Maybe next time.."

"When a crazy ninja warrior isn't after it?" asked Wasabi. "Yeah. I like that thought, Honey."

I nodded and tucked the blueprints into my pocket, a little guilty that I wasn't telling them the whole truth…

And so we worked. I'd learned a lot and had experimented quite a bit during my time at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. It was surprisingly easy to improve our suits and fix the broken parts. The thing I loved the best was how light yet strong I was able to make my purple suit. I also added a bit of speed to Baymax's rocket armor and went for a ride. Ah, how I had missed that. Nothing like flying over the city.

As I flew on my robot through the sky, I watched the streets of the city. I saw the people all rushing around and the colorful signs. The city really was magnificent. I could understand why Everwraith loved it so much. Heck, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. My eyes wandered to all the robotics and electronics the city held. Cell phones, bullet trains, electric signs, traffic signals, and robots. If Everwraith really could gain control of it all… There was no end of the damage he could do. I shuddered at the thought.

"Hiro. I sensed you shiver. Are you experiencing cold or fear?" asked Baymax.

"Neither really," I replied. "I think it's a different kind of feeling."

"Tell me when you find out."

"Sure, buddy."

After another fifteen minutes, we landed and met up with my friends who had been waiting in Fred's yard.

"Never stops being cool," said Fred. "Flying, I mean."

"Still scared of heights here," Wasabi reminded him.

The door of the house clicked open and Stan came out. "Fred," he said. "Your friends have some style, huh?" He observed our suits and weapons. "They're in to the whole superhero thing like you, huh?"

"Absolutely, Dad," said Fred, puffing his chest with pride. It looked a little funny because he had his monster costume on. He pulled the top of the costume up so that we could see his face.

"Well… We're probably not the kind of heroes that Fred wants us to be," I told him, hopping off of Baymax. "But who knows."

Stan turned and grinned at me. "Well, I've never really understood the whole 'hero' thing either," he said. "I mean, does it look like something I'd know about?"

I glanced at the large house and perfectly kept law. No, someone who spent his time reading comics probably wouldn't make that kind of money. Would he?

Stan turned and gave Fred a knowing wink and a look that I couldn't decipher the meaning of. "Well, I'm glad I got to see your gadgets up close. I'm gonna go back into the house and work on some stuff though. Have fun with your, team, Fred."

When he'd gone, GoGo said, "Fred, what did your dad even do for a living?"

"You know… stuff."

The rest of the team and I gave him odd looks. I wondered why his eyes looked like he'd just heard an incredibly funny, secret joke. It was Honey that decided to just "Let Fred be Fred."

"What's next, Hiro?" she asked, changing the subject.

"The flashdrive," I told them. "I went through the contents in Fred's room. I have Everwraith's location. It's on an island surprisingly close to the one Callaghan creeped around."

"So… we go for it?" asked GoGo.

"Uh," said Wasabi, raising a hand. "What do you mean by 'go for it'?"

"We test this stuff out of course!" said Fred. He let loose a burst of fire from his costume.

Wasabi made a squeaky nervous sound. He always seemed to be the most worried of all of us and I often wondered why, considering his size.

I clicked down the glass on the front of my helmet.

"Let's do this."

* * *

><p>We were on the island for really about four seconds before the drones came.<p>

Baymax had detected them first, warning us.

"Scatter!" ordered GoGo, skating to the left. We did as she said.

I observed the bots while madly avoiding them with Baymax. They were nothing more than basic security drones. However, San Fransokyo's basic security drones often came with tasers and strong medal arms.

"Intruders," they said in unison with automated voices as they made grabs at us. One came dangerously close to whacking me in the spleen. I noticed my friends doing about as well as I was: not getting hurt but not getting on the offense either. Even GoGo, with all her speed was having trouble due to the sheer number of drones after her.

This went on for about five more minutes before the drones stopped. We relaxed a little as they crackled with radio static. Then a voice spoke.

"You shouldn't drop in unannounced."

Everwraith.

"Uh… well–" I started.

"Do you or do you not have what I need."

"No," I said, trying to keep my face stoic. "You aren't getting it. So give up and give me back my aunt. Please."

"Hiro," said Fred. "This always happens in comic books. The hero offers peace but the bad guy is always like _'no! face my army!'_"

There was silence for a moment. The drones almost seemed to shut off.

"Your friend isn't as much of an imbecile as he looks," came that ancient feral voice.

Fred paused. "Uh. What does–"

"Face my army, Hiro Hamada."

I gasped as the drones came to life, buzzing and growing. Their metal bodies extended to twice their normal size. They advanced.

"Fudge!" I shouted.

"Move it!" cried GoGo.

Honey ducked as a robotic arm missed her by inches. "In hindsight, this probably wasn't the best plan!"

"Yeah! I'm starting to think that too!" I replied.

I leaped from Baymax in order to dodge a burst of electricity from one of the drones. The shock sailed over Baymax and I fell, sliding across the ground on my knees, an action which would have really scrapped me pretty badly if not for my protective armor.

"Oof," I groaned, picking myself up off the ground.

"Hiro!" GoGo whizzed by, grabbing me as she went. Her speed was so intense, I almost couldn't breathe. I wondered how she could stay so calm. She cut right, avoiding a bot. I caught sight of Fred, Wasabi, and Honey all holding their own and Baymax trying to reach me but not moving nearly as swiftly as GoGo.

"I'm not sure how long we can keep this up, Hiro," said GoGo. "What do you got?"

"Everwraith wants to prove his stronger than we are," I told her. "He wants to push me into a corner. We just need to beat him here and find my aunt."

"How do we– Gyahaaaah!"

An electric beam nailed one of GoGo's wheels. She went down, taking me with her.

"GoGo! Hiro!" shouted Honey.

The drones circled and my muscles tensed. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't like what every would happen next. I brace myself when–

_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!_

I smelled smoke. The drones dropped. GoGo rose, a look of confusion on her face. She picked something up off the ground. A little silver disk.

"A disrupter?" she said, examining it. That disk must have sent opposite pulses into the robots, shorting them out. I gasped and frantically scanned around for Baymax and spotted him hovering, still functional, out of range of the pulse. I relaxed a little.

"Where did it come from?" I asked, taking it from GoGo. It couldn't have been thrown by Wasabi, Honey, or Fred. If they had had that kind of technology, they would have used it right away…

"Bro. Are you okay?"

That voice.

It couldn't be.

Could it?

I whirled around and dropped the disk back onto the grass. There stood my brother, the best friend I had lost what seemed like ages ago, looking fatigued but alive.

"TADASHI!"

I sprinted towards him and hugged him forcefully. "I don't believe it! You're alive."

"Hey, I'm as glad as you are," he said softly. I let go and took a step back. he wore a white tee shirt with jeans– different from the clothes he'd run back into the flames of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology wearing. His hair was messier than he usually kept it.

"Oh. You must be tired, huh? But… What happened? How did you survive? Where have you been?"

"Tadashi?"

We both turned to see Baymax, Honey, Fred, Wasabi, and GoGo. They all looked dazed. Their best friend had seemingly returned from the dead. Honey squeaked and covered her mouth with her hands. Her big eyes glistened as if she was caught between laughing and crying. Wasabi's mouth hung open and he was shaking. Fred's face was a huge grin but his chest rose up and down in heavy breathing. GoGo stared at Tadashi. She bit her lip and then turned to the side, putting her hands over her eyes. She breathed out a soft laugh.

Baymax slowly moved towards Tadashi. "Tadashi," he said, "is here." He leaned forward and hugged Tadashi then the robot paused and looked about as confused as a robot could look. "Tadashi, your signals are not like what they used to be."

Tadashi paled. "I-I've been through a lot. Maybe… it's too much for your scanner… to handle."

"Oh! We've missed you so much!" cried Honey, she gave him a big hug but he winced. Honey noticed.

"Sorry… You're right. You've probably been through a lot. I just… I just…" Honey sniffled. I grabbed her hand and smiled at Tadashi.

"You can tell us all about it when we get home. But first, you can help us get Aunt Cass!"

"No."

"Huh?" I asked, stunned.

"Are you okay, man?" wondered Wasabi, cocking his head.

"I-I'm fine. But I'm way too weak to help you guys out. I've seen what's in that guy's lair. It's way too dangerous. We need to come back later." He stared at me. "Trust me on this one, Hiro."

My eyebrows knit. What exactly had happened to Tadashi? What was causing him to act so strangely? I didn't know. But I did know one thing: that I trusted my older brother with my life.

"Okay," I decided. "We'll go back home and return tomorrow. That way we'll be able to come up with a solid plan. If you've seen what Everwraith's base is like, you can help us."

He nodded and put his hand on my shoulder. "Sounds like a good idea."

We all climbed aboard Baymax who lifted off from the ground. As all seven of us ascended, I noticed a dark shape emerge onto the bay. Everwraith. He looked up at me but because of his kabuto and mask, I couldn't tell what expression he was making.

_Tomorrow,_ I thought, _we settle this._

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Chapter 4: Returning to the Danger

_Well, here I am posting this at 11:30 pm my time. I'm super worried about this chapter because I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. Sleeeepy. (e.e); _

_And this was supposed to be the chapter I was really excited to write. Well, I think I accomplished what i needed to :). As always, excuse typos and as always enjoy. _

_- M. Dawn_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Returning to the Danger<strong>

It was late when we all made it back to the café. I glanced nervously at the "Closed" sign I had put up. In the day since my aunt had been taken, her absence had already been noticed. I'd even had a few neighbors ask why she wasn't answering the phone. My white lies kept them at bay but I wasn't sure how long I could keep it up before people started investigating.

We sneaked in as soon as nobody was watching for fear they'd see Tadashi and start smothering him with questions. I closed the curtains and got everyone pastries from one of the pans Aunt Cass had taken out of the oven shortly before her kidnapping. At first we chewed in silence. But at last, we couldn't take it anymore.

"Tell us the whole story, Tadashi," I said. "And you better not leave anything out because you think it would be better if I not know or whatever."

"Still the same old Hiro," said Tadashi. He wiped glaze off the side of his mouth. "It's all kind of blurry. I think something hit me on the head when I was in the fire. When I came to, I couldn't remember anything. Not who I was or why I was there or… anything at all. I crawled from underneath the building and wandered around."

"And nobody saw you?" asked GoGo. "I mean, somebody should have recognized you. We know that neighborhood pretty well."

"I guess it was just an anomaly then," said my brother. "Nobody saw me."

"Weren't you injured?" asked Honey. "Nobody tried to help?"

Tadashi paused as if he were thinking hard.

"Uh… yeah. Somebody did drive me to the hospital where I got food, new clothes, and help. But I was still disoriented and so I left there before they could figure out who I was. I lived in the city, not sure what to do, for a long time. I slept under bridges and ate whatever people would give me. Then… one day… I saw that Everwraith guy downtown. I thought I heard him mention your name on a phone or something and it must have jogged some memories. I stowed away on his boat when he returned to that island. I saw you there. I'm starting to remember stuff now. But its not… all there."

I frowned. Tadashi's story had more holes than a dish sponge. Maybe he was remembering things wrong. He was acting really strange. I'd barely seen any traces of his almost motherly personality or fun attitude. I mostly saw confusion, nervousness, and sadness."

"You aren't making any sense at all, man," said Wasabi.

At that, Tadashi's eyes seemed to glow with anger. "I TOLD YOU I DON'T REMEMBER!" he roared, standing up and banging on the table so loud all of us jumped. "Why can't you just understand! This isn't my fault. If I knew what happened, I'd tell you!"

"You don't have to yell," snapped GoGo, staring him down.

"You don't have to hang around!"

Her eyes widened. She glanced back at us as if to ask: "did you hear him just say that."

I swallowed. "You should probably get some sleep, Tadashi. That will help, right? Guys… you guys should head home too… It's been a rough day."

"But–" started Fred.

"Fred. I can handle this. We'll be fine."

My friends gave both Tadashi and me concerned looks before saying good night and filing out.

When the door closed, Tadashi sat back down. He didn't say anything and neither did I. I had too many things I wanted to ask and I had to word things wisely.

"Both of you are experiencing signs of stress," said Baymax. I smiled weakly.

"Yeah. I know," I said. "Thanks, buddy."

Tadashi got up and started to walk up the stairs. I didn't want to overwhelm him so I put all the pastry dishes in the sink in order to give him time to get to the room before i went upstairs myself.

When I entered our bedroom, I saw him lying on his bed which remained the way he'd left it. I sighed and sat on the floor. Best let things be quiet for a while. I pulled out my mid-term panel project and started working on it. The new additions were coming along but I still wished I could go faster.

"Is that the thing Everwraith is after?"

I turned to see that my brother was now suddenly beside me, examining my work.

"Yeah. It is."

"So you're going to give him what he wants?"

"Sort of," I replied. I didn't really want to talk about the panel. "Just trust me."

"I do."

At that moment, Baymax came waddling in. He faced us and seemed to be scanning.

"Tadashi, your scans are still not normal."

Tadashi shrugged. "I made you, right? Tomorrow, I'll look to see what the readings are."

"Very well," replied Baymax.

I turned my focus away from them and continued to reset some wires in the panel. The action was extremely delicate. This was the machine that was capable of manipulating any human or mechanical functions. Working on it required precision. I screwed a prong to one of the ends.

"There," I said. "Pretty much done."

"Then you should go to bed," suggested Tadashi. "We have a big day tomorrow."

"Right," I answered, jumping onto my bed and sliding under the covers. "Goodnight, Tadashi."

"Goodnight, Hiro."

* * *

><p>The next morning I got up and saw that Tadashi wasn't in his bed. Yawning, I assumed that he must have gone downstairs to get breakfast. I hurried down the stairs, calling his name. No answer. I emerged in the kitchen and blinked when I saw Baymax slumped against one of the counters. I poked him.<p>

"Baymax. Hey. You okay?"

The robot didn't even twitch. I clicked open his access port and saw that his memory chip had been removed. That was strange. Why would it be gone? Where was Tadashi? I walked into the main dining area and thought I heard my brother's voice. I turned a corner and saw him sitting alone on a table, sipping coffee.

"Were you talking to someone in here?" I asked.

"No." He shook his head. "Why?"

"Thought I heard it. Hey, do you know where Baymax's memory chip is?"

"It's here." He showed me the green card which had his name, Tadashi Hamada, written across it in sharpie. "I checked Baymax like I said I would this morning. I noticed some glitches in his memory of my biometrics. I was going to re-calibrate it later. It may take some time though. So I emailed the docks a request for a boat." He took another drink of coffee.

"Ah, man, Tadashi. Couldn't you have waited until later to fix Baymax? This wasn't exactly an urgent problem." I really didn't want to face Everwraith without Baymax. Like REALLY didn't want to. But I didn't want to argue with my brother either. He already seemed to be in a fragile state.

He shrugged. "I needed something to do. To get my mind off things."

"Fair enough. I'm going to suit up and call everyone to meet us at the docks. Just make sure you get Baymax's card back in him when we come back tonight."

"Don't worry. I promise. Geez, you've really gotten attached to him while I was gone, huh? He wasn't intended to be turned on unless someone was hurt."

"He's good company. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Our friends met us at the docks at our request. We explained to them about how Baymax's disk had trouble and so we'd have to go without him. They all seemed a little edgy around Tadashi as if they were afraid he'd yell at them again. He noticed.<p>

"Guys, I'm sorry about last night. I'm just… exhausted. Right now, our top priority is to get to that island."

"Yeah, sure," said GoGo solemnly, hopping into the boat and bending to attach her wheels.

"Let's do this quickly," I suggested. We piled into the boat and set off.

We all reached Everwraith's island and hurried towards the building at the island's center. It was a large building: cold and menacing. The walls were the color of slate and were at least ten stories tall. The design of the building almost reminded me of pictures of Alcatraz I'd seen. I shivered. If Baymax had been there, I'd tell him that that shiver was one of fear.

Like he'd pointed out yesterday, Tadashi said that he had a logical plan because he had been to the building before he'd found us fighting the drones on the bay. At his suggestion, we decided that we should stay as a group for as long as possible and then split off when danger came. That way two or three of us could go to the fourth floor where our aunt was and rescue her. We each agreed and kept moving. We made it to floor two when who should visit us… You guessed it.

Everwraith's drones.

"Go!" I yelled, protecting myself with an armored arm from a drone's heavy arm. My friends sprung into action. Wasabi slashed with his plasma lasers, Gogo threw yellow disks, Fred shot flame, and Honey tossed exploding balls off goo.

"Hiro!" Tadashi grabbed my wrist. "Stick to the plan. We're going to get Aunt Cass."

"Yeah! Right!"

I took last look at my friends, fighting bravely. Fred shot me the most of a thumbs up he could do with his costume on. I smiled and nodded before following Tadashi up the stairs.

I was close behind him as we made our way to a dim room that gave me chills. There were boxes and crates everywhere as well as jars of random glowing fluid and oil drums. It must have been some kind of storage room.

"I saw Everwraith in here before… I'm pretty sure," said my brother. I brushed past him and into the middle of the room. At that moment, the enemy emerged from behind a crate just like a menacing horror movie monster.

"I understand you have the project I need," he said. His hand fingered at the hilt of his katana.

I removed the panel from my pocket. I dropped it to the ground and raised my foot over it. I didn't let my gaze leave Everwraith. "Bring Aunt Cass here right now or I'm smashing it to bits." I tried to make my voice as serious and cold as possible.

"Will you, now?"

His tone immediately alerted me to the fact that something was wrong. He sounded much too confident. Oddly amused. Too late, I turned to look at Tadashi. The moment I saw him, an iron pipe was heading towards my head.

The force of the metal knocked me back and the pain caused me to fall to the ground. I hit my head on the back as I collided with the floor. My eyesight was beginning to blur and all I could think about was the agony I felt in my skull.

No. That's not right.

I thought about how stupid I'd been to blindly go along with Tadashi even though I knew he had not been acting like himself. I'd decided to accept his idiotic explanations and actions. I'd just… wanted to believe I really had my brother back. I didn't want to believe that things weren't all fixed.

Finally I thought of Baymax as I saw Tadashi hand the lime green memory chip, the essence of my robot, over to the mastermind of this whole big ordeal.

Then the pain was too much to handle. My eyesight went gray. Then black.

**To Be Continued. **


	6. Chapter 5: Exactly the Same Way

_Does anyone else HATE the way automatically formats? Cause it annoys the crap out of me. Anyways, I don't have much to rant on. You know the drill._

_- M. Dawn_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Exactly the Same Way <strong>

I woke up with my face against the cool ground. The metal floor numbed my throbbing head but only a little. I felt so stiff and tired.

"So, you're awake."

I lifted my head with difficulty. I realized that there were ropes tying my hands together when I tried to use my hands to get up and couldn't. When the dizziness subsided, I saw Everwraith leaning over me with Tadashi only a few paces behind him.

"I don't understand," I said. My voice sounded like I'd been gargling sand. Everwraith grabbed my shoulder and pushed me upwards so that I was in a sitting position against a wall.

"It's simple. That man is not your brother."

I exhaled loudly, refusing to look at the fake Tadashi. "I'd assumed something was up. I guess I was hoping it was anything but that…"

"I see. Because if he really was confused or if I were controlling him, there'd be a chance that you could still get your brother back."

I knodded. Everwraith began to pace back and forth.

"I've been interested in genetics for a while now. I would be a great thing to improved the gene pool. I came to fully understand cloning and, well, I needed someone to make sure you played into my hands. After reading that you'd lost your dear older brother in a fire, I managed to get DNA samples by locating doctors' files, scanning his workroom in the college, and visiting the site of his death. This clone was charged with getting close to you so I could obtain this."

He shook in front of me the panel he held.

"This Tadashi called me this morning and told me that you had completed it and that he'd lure you here."

I winced. So the clone Tadashi _**had **_been on the phone that morning. The more and more I learned, the more foolish I felt. In normal circumstances, I would have blatantly questioned all these things. I would have probably even questioned Tadashi. But… the fact that I still hadn't gotten over his death… I sighed.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that."

Everwraith motioned towards a table on the side of the room and, for the first time, I noticed Aunt Cass lying there. I must have paled because Everwraith let out a gravelly laugh. The sound was like one of those cheap, plastic, cackling Halloween skull head decoration you get at drugstores.

"This project of yours can manipulate both people and machines, correct? Now that I have it, I will learn how to replicate it. With power of the nervous or electrical systems of anything I desire, I will take this city and shape into what it should be."

"You're more delusional than Yokai," I growled.

"Possibly. But I still beat you, Hiro Hamada."

He pulled out Baymax's bright green memory card from his pocket. It seemed to glow. The name "Tadashi Hamada" scrawled on the surface seemed bolder than ever before.

"You will watch me destroy this chip, the most important thing left to you by your brother. I'll use your aunt as my first experiment with your panel and then I'll end you."

"Wait!" I protested. "You promised you'd let her go if you got the panel! You have it so let her go!"

"I said she wouldn't die if I got it. And she won't. Truth be told, it would have been fun to experiment with you instead. I genuinely am impressed by your skills in science and math. However, you and that ridiculous balloon of a bot seem to be more trouble than you're worth. So your life will end here. In the pain. In the misery. In the dark."

I was about to say something nasty in reply. But, to my surprise, the Tadashi clone spoke up before I could.

"Don't you thing that's harsh?" he asked Everwraith seriously.

Everwraith turned to him.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "If we're speaking of value here, you aren't much of anything. You are a copy of someone else. You were created for no other reason than to deceive this kid at my command."

Clone-Tadashi's expression barely changed. "Oh," he said.

"Well then," said Everwraith. He waved both the panel and Baymax's chip at me. "Because I'm not completely cold, I will allow you what you want to happen first."

I tried to look shocked. "Eh? What? You're telling me that you'd put off this big dream of yours to take over San Fransokyo in order to destroy my best friend? You really don't have real resolve do you? You are nothing if you don't have a goal that takes precedence over breaking my robot."

Everwraith adjusted the mask around his mouth. "I suppose you're right." My heart sped up. He turned on the panel. The prongs poked out. He approached my aunt and turned the dial."

ZAAAAAP!

Everwraith fell– out cold–as a mild shock buzzed off the panel. My plan had worked… Although I didn't count on being tied up when it did. Basically, when Honey had told me at Fred's house that Everwraith would get his hands on my panel if I finished it, I decided to finish it. But not in the way he expected it. Now I only had minutes to get untied, grab my aunt, find my friends, and… Oh right. There was still the Tadashi imposter.

In fact, he was walking towards me at that moment. He walked at a normal pace. Why not? I would never be able to get away. I gasped and tried to stand but he seized me and… untied my restraints. The rope fell to the floor. I glanced at him in confusion.

"You're probably the kindest person that I've met since I was created," he explained. "You're good natured and smart. If I help you now, that will make me a better person, won't it? I'll end up not being what Everwraith said I was. I'll have value, right? I'm going to get your aunt and lead you out."

Immediately and true to his word, he lifted my limp aunt off the table. I snatched Baymax's chip from the ground and followed clone Tadashi out the door.

Together we descended the stairs rapidly. He was helping me but I still felt wary. I couldn't speak, not to thank him or reprimand him for tricking me before. Still, I was glad that he hadn't proved to be completely evil. I wasn't sure if I could handle someone with my brothers face… doing such wrong things. At the base of the stairs, we ran into my team.

"Hiro!" cried Fred. "Where'ya been, man?"

"Long story!" I cried. "Did you take care of the drones?"

"Naturally," said GoGo.

"Then we really need to get out of here."

I led them towards the exit. None of my friends knew that the Tadashi with me was actually a clone and not really their best friend. I decided not to bring up that fact until we were all out of harm's way. The last thing we needed was for thing to get confusing while we tried to make a daring escape.

"How long will Everwraith stay passed out?" asked the clone.

"Uh…. Ten minutes?" I estimated. "It wasn't that big of a shock!"

"What? Shock?" asked Honey.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you before. But I kept the panel and rewired it into basically a weak taser. I was hoping that Everwraith would steal it and turn it on and we could get away."

My friends stared at me, half amazed and half amused.

"Hahaha!" said Wasabi. "That's awesome. Only you."

They laughed and I couldn't help but join in with them. After all, it was looking like we'd make it. We'd get out alive and with Aunt Cass. We'd call the police (or swat team) and everything would be taken care of. All in a day's work for the Big Hero 6?

I wish things were ever that easy.

When we were only a few feet away from the door, there was a loud crackling sound and the large metal door slammed shut. Someone had activated it from a distance. I decelerated but my heart kept sprinting. Everwraith. He must have woken up and he knew we were making an escape.

"There's another exit the left hall. Two doors down. Go." Tadashi passed my aunt over to Wasabi. "Hiro, can I talk to you privately for just a few minutes. We'll meet up with the rest of you. Just stand right outside."

My friends looked unsure. They switched looks from Tadashi to me. Fred lifted up the top of his costume in order to get a better look at us.

"We're going to make it out," I told them. "Give us a minute to think."

They reluctantly turned their backs on us and headed down the hall. When their footsteps had faded, I said,

"What?"

The clone's expression was one of extreme sadness but not all that of an intense sadness. Light melancholy, maybe? He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"This will never work. Everwraith will activate more drones. He also has surveillance over the whole island which is how he knew you were coming before. Besides just that, he has bombs and traps all over the outside that he can activate with the push of a button. You escaped before because I was with you. But now Everwraith knows I betrayed him. He'll kill all of us. Unless…"

"Unless what?" I asked uneasily.

"There's a destruction function on this building. In case authorities ever started to investigate what was hidden here. I won't be able to activate it from a distance. But I can set it off from the inside. That way you and your friends can get away safely. No drones or traps."

"No!" I shouted. "You'd have to… You'd die!"

Clone-Tadashi nodded. He removed his hand and looked at a space on the wall with ever-stoic eyes. A camera. Everwraith was watching to see our next move.

"Please let me do this. Let me make my own choice for once in my short life. I really don't have any idea about what I'd do or care about even if I got away. But… I do sort of care about your story… with your brother. I thought Everwraith would have let you go once he captured you. But that was a lie. I pity for you, honestly. Tadashi already died and you shouldn't have to."

"But–"

"Go! I'm getting rid of this man in a few minutes whether you protest or not! You might as well save yourself, Hiro."

I winced at his tone. I didn't want anyone to die. Not even Everwraith. But… I did have an obligation to get my friends out and… The clone Tadashi looked dead serious about going through with the act no matter what.

I bit my lip. "Y-you aren't a bad person."

Then I turned my back on him and hurried down the hall. I felt like I was moving in slow-mo but my mind was traveling with the speed of greased lightning. So many regrets and hopes and thoughts.

"Hiro!" I heard him call just before I reached the second door. "I'm not your brother! But I wish I would have been. Because then you wouldn't have been so unhappy!"

I barely had time to register the meaning of that. I pulled open the door just as a hot blast sent me flying. The clone had activated the self destruct. The building was breaking.

For a moment, I had a thought… That this was almost exactly how I'd lost my brother Tadashi. Now a man who looked like him, who I'd thought was him… Was dying in the same way. I'd never believed in fate but… Was it possible that there was no other ending? No matter what, Tadashi would end up having to leave this world.

I hit the dirt outside and slid, my mind failing for the second time that day.

**TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT AND FINAL CHAPTER.**


	7. Chapter 6: Ending Things

_Well here we are at the end of this story. I'm pretty much done. I just needed this chapter to wrap things up. This was a fun, no pressure little project for me and I hope you people enjoyed it. And thankyouthankyouthankyou to the people who favorited, followed, or reviewed. Thank you to the people who kept reading from the beginning. It means so much to me! So enjoy chapter 6... Ha. I find it kind of cool that this ended up being six chapters. Fitting, no?_

_- M. Dawn_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Ending Things<strong>

I stared at my ceiling. The house was all too quiet. So quiet that I could hear my own breath, my heart, the humming of my computers.

I re-imagined the last two days. After the explosion of Everwraith's base, I'd been taken home– unconscious– by my friends who'd returned both Aunt Cass and me to our beds.

I'd explained to Aunt Cass about everything that had happened. I'd expected her to freak and break out one or two or twelve boxes of doughnuts but she'd only put her hand on my back and rubbed it a few times before pulling me in for a hug. She'd insisted on making me apple cider and pumpkin spice cookies which were more soothing than you'd realize. But finally, I'd convinced her to take a nap. She needed it.

"Hiro?"

I glanced over at Baymax who was still standing on his charging station. Trust me, the amount of relief I felt when I slid his memory chip back inside him and watched him come back to life was like nothing else.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Where is Tadashi?" he asked me.

I sighed. Sighing helped me fight back the tears.

"Dead. He'd been dead since the fire at college. And now his clone is dead too."

"So… That is why his scans were slightly different?"

"Yes. Biologically, he was the same as my brother. But certain things, the brain activity, stuff like that was probably different. That guy was no Tadashi. At least not on the inside."

"He was a bad man?"

"No… Not really."

I flipped over to my side. The pillow felt nice and soft on my bruised face. I heard Baymax shuffling over before he reached me. I was lifted of my bed and found myself staring at my robot's simple face. He rocked me back and forth."

"There… There, there."

I let out a short laugh.

"Cut it out, Baymax."

"Why? Your mental health is improving. Or do you want to go out and find the others?"

I paused. "Yeah… I think that would be a good idea."

* * *

><p>Baymax and I found my friends back at the lab at school. At first they didn't notice me walk in. Honey was mixing two candy colored liquids with precision but not as much precision as Wasabi was exerting on his newest project. GoGo seemed to be refitting wheels on her bike while Fred sat on the couch with ear buds in, singing some song at the top of his lungs:<p>

_"'Cause we could be immortals, immortals_  
><em>Just not for long, for long,<em>  
><em>And live with me forever now,<em>  
><em>Pull the blackout curtains down,<em>  
><em>Just not for long, for long,<em>  
><em>Because we could be immooooooo- immortals,<em>  
><em>Immooooooo- immortals,<em>  
><em>Immooooooo- immortals,<em>  
><em>Immooooooo- immortals!"<em>

"Guys!" I called, deciding I'd had enough of Fred's off keys.

They all turned to me and my robot companion with electric speed.

"Hiro! Baymax!"

In the span of about four minutes they were all crowding around us. From their faces I could tell that their various projects were only ways to cover up how they were feeling.

"I'm sorry that all that… had to happen," I managed.

"None of it was your fault," Honey Lemon told me. "That man, Everwraith, was crazy. He- He cared so much about power and the warrior ways that he didn't know how much pain he'd cause."

"Or didn't care," said GoGo.

Silence.

"So…" said Wasabi finally. "Tadashi?"

I felt as if someone had pulled a rug from underneath my feet. I actually felt so dizzy I was sure I'd fall. But I took a deep breath.

"That wasn't Tadashi. He was a copy that Everwraith had developed to trick us."

Looks of disgust crossed their faces.

"How awful!"

"I should have let that guy have a piece of me."

"That's so messed man! Worse than the worst villain ever!"

"Unnatural!"

I couldn't even manage a nod this time. My mind was somewhere else. So many thing had happened since my brother's death. Forming a bond with Baymax, beating Yokai, the clone Tadashi, beating Everwraith….

"Can we just take a break, guys?"

They shared a look before all beaming at me.

"That's the best idea I've heard in a long while!" said GoGo. She flicked a violet streak of hair from her face.

Honey gave me a strong hug. "Yes! Yes! Yes! But… After our mid-terms!"

I gasped. "Oh crap! I almost forgot! And my mid-term was destroyed!"

"You, of all people, should be able to come up with something in a week," Wasabi told me, patting me on the back.

"You know," I said, "I think best over milkshakes."

"I'll drive," said GoGo immediately. I glanced at Baymax.

"Or… Option two?"

They whooped and shot their fists into the airs.

As I ran to my workroom to get Baymax's extra armor, I couldn't help thing that maybe the future was bright. I wouldn't easily get over what I'd been through in the past year but it wasn't the end of the world. I'm pretty sure that's what my brother would have wanted me to think. I finally felt like I was doing him proud.

**THE END**


End file.
